Asked by: Edward Feliciano

What if I unintentionally plagiarize?

Even if you aren’t breaking the law, plagiarism can seriously impact your academic career. While the exact consequences of plagiarism vary by institution and severity, common consequences include: a lower grade, automatically failing a course, academic suspension or probation, or even expulsion.

Is it common to accidentally plagiarize?

Plagiarism is using someone else’s work as one’s own and not giving due credit to the original author. Out of the most common types of plagiarism, unintentional plagiarism is the most widespread.

Is Accidental plagiarism serious?

(See the Note-Taking section on the Avoiding Plagiarism page.) Lack of intent does not absolve the student of responsibility for plagiarism. Cases of accidental plagiarism are taken as seriously as any other plagiarism and are subject to the same range of consequences as other types of plagiarism.

How do I make sure I don’t accidentally plagiarize?

You can avoid plagiarism by:

1. Keeping track of the sources you consult in your research.
2. Paraphrasing or quoting from your sources (and adding your own ideas)
3. Crediting the original author in an in-text citation and in your reference list.
4. Using a plagiarism checker before you submit.

How do I convince my teacher I don’t plagiarize?

Provide your teacher with the outlines, notes or drafts, which were made for this particular paper as the proofs that you have made efforts to write the paper on your own. Provide the evidence that highlights your knowledge or skills (for example, previous essays) to prove that you didn’t plagiarize in the past.